Christine Gertraude Walz - Part 7

             Friedrich's family included Babette Christine (Barbara Ronnenkamp), Maria Christine (Oswald), Friedrich Gottfried, known as Fred Jr., Anna Maria (Mary Ellsworth), Caroline (Spaulding and then Roos), Gottfried Christopher, known as Godfrey, and Christoph, known as Chris. An older son, Ernst, did not come to America with his family. Three children of Friedrich and Anna Maria died as babies.

            Barbara had married the year before at the age of 14 1/2 and was in her own home, and Fred Jr., 13, was helping on his Aunt Charlotte's farm while their son was on a mission. The other five children would join Christine's three to form the new family. Eight children and two parents made the one-room log house bulge. Friedrich kept his job in Pocatello and came home when he could. But Christine was cheerful, a good housekeeper, and an excellent cook. They were sure the marriage would work. Some of the overcrowding was eased when Friedrich built one room, and later another, onto Christine's small log home.

Rexburg, Idaho

            Karl Conrad was born in these crowded conditions on November 30, 1891, He was named for Christine's first husband, and for her father and her nephew, both named Conrad. By the following June, it was decided to put the three Buchmiller children out with relatives. Emelia, 10, and Lena, 7, went to live with Christine's sister, Christina Magdalena (Auntie Walz). They would help take care of her invalid husband while she was serving as a nurse and midwife. John Henry, 8 1/2, who had just finished the third grade, would live with Conrad Walz and his wife, Eliza, out in Burton. He would be taught farming. John was not

at all happy about leaving. When his stepfather asked John to give him part of his earnings, John said, "No! I'll give some to my mother but not to you."

            Auntie Walz was glad to have the help of the girls. She was very busy and hadn't been able to give George the attention he needed. Over the course of her career Auntie Walz helped more than 2,000 mothers give birth to babies, some as far away as Ashton and Driggs.  When Uncle George died in 1895 Emelia moved in with Auntie Walz's daughter, Mary Brenner, to learn sewing and dressmaking. Mary and her husband, Jacob, lived in Rexburg. Auntie Walz ' other married daughter, Christina Magdalena Walz Pfost, took Lena to help care for the Pfost children.

            Soon more children were born to the Klingler family. George Ludwig was born on October 8, 1894. His first name was for Auntie Walz' husband, and his second name was also his father's middle name. Two daughters came next — Eva Rosina on January 28, 1896, and Sarah, on August 20, 1897. Rosina was a Klingler femily name. Sarah later changed the spelling to Sara. Three boys followed the two girls. Wilhelm Wilfbrd was bom April 3, 1899.  He later was called William or Bill. Frank Jakob came November 22, 1900. Sorrow entered the home again as he lived only until October 14,1901. Their last son, Alma, was born August 12, 1902, just a month after his mother's 43rd birthday. Auntie Walz helped Christine with all

the deliveries.

Ricks Academy formerly Bannock Stake Academy

            The babies were blessed and, when old enough, baptized and confirmed. Education had to be considered. In 1888, before Christine had remarried, the Bannock Stake Academy was opened in Rexburg. The students were divided into three groups. Tuition was set at four dollars for intermediate students, three dollars for preparatory, and two dollars for primary children . Families with several school-age children sometimes could not afford to pay tuition for all of them. This was the case in the new Buchmiller-Klingler family, so some of the children did not get the education their parents wanted them to have.

            Life was very busy for Christine, as the children needed much care. Friedrich couldn't help as he was away most of the time in Pocatello. With the assistance of the older girls, Christine prepared food, made clothes, knitted the family stockings, and washed clothes on a washboard. Both Christine and Friedrich worried about the diphtheria and smallpox epidemics of 1891-92 and the measles outbreaks every spring. An occasional Indian scare was another problem. Christine had little time to think about her former home in Germany or events of the recent past.

            Auntie Walz always seemed to be readily available when her sister's family had illness or emergencies. Once when the children were playing Karl accidentally chopped off Eva's finger. Someone sent for Auntie Walz. She came as quickly as she could and put something on the injured finger, wrapped it up, and saved it. Another time when the whole family had typhoid fever she was the one who nursed them back to health. George was very ill and took longer than the others to recover. During this time everyone "spoiled" him and from then on until he was grown he was known as the "pet" of the family. There was an

emergency that Auntie Walz missed — a fire the boys started that Christine and Emelia put out by themselves.

            In August of 1887, just a few months before Christine lost her first husband, the Rexburg Second Ward was organized. The ward covered the southwest part of town. The bishop was Casper Steiner and his counselors were Roman Siepert and Conrad Walz. Auntie Walz was set apart as the ward's first Relief Society president. She served 18 years. The Third Ward was organized at the same time and covered the northwest section of Rexburg. It was merged into the Second Ward five years later.

First Ward Meeting House

Second Ward Meeting House